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There seems to be an ongoing discussion of how to keep the perineum tab centered and how to make it a little less irritating. I think I have an easy, comfortable, inexpensive solution, at the risk of putting forth yet another home remedy...

Anyhow, if you live anywhere near the shore or lake, there will be a store that sells boating-related equipment. They almost all sell small, oval-shaped pieces of closed-cell foam which are used as key-ring floatation devices (generally with some advertising printed on them), for about $1 or $2. They're about 4" long, 1 1/2" wide, and 1" thick.

If you cut off about 1" of the narrow end of the foam (which is usually covered in a slick, cleanable, vinyl finish), you'll have a "D" shaped piece about 1" wide. Carefully cut a slit most of the way into the exposed foam (on the cut side) to accomodate the Aneros' perineum tab. The rounded part of the "D" will be what makes contact with the body.

The 1" width is just right to keep it centered between the thighs, it's now much more comfortable, and still has enough point-pressure to feel great. Also, it's waterproof and easily cleanable.

Kudos to TBONE for his ingenious improvisation. I just picked up one of these "floaties" this weekend and gave it a test run. My initial session with this "stabilizer" left me with the impression that this is a REAL FIND for any user who has had a lot of sensitivity to the abutment tab. There have been many who have complained that the tab brings far too much pressure to bear, making it too uncomfortable to be erotically stimulating. For these individuals this is without question the simplest, most effective, cheapest and yes most cleanable fixes that I've ever seen.

However, there is a trade-off here. Namely that the increase in stability yields a definite loss of pressure. If you're like me, you are looking for more pressure not less. It's important to remember that the Aneros functions much like a lever (i.e. a rigid bar pivoted on a fixed point that's used to transmit force). In the case Aneros, the body of the unit is one end of the lever and the abutment tab is the other, with the fulcrum somewhere in-between. Unfortunately, the addition of a stabilizer that is directly connected to the abutment tab has the result of diffusing some of the force that is brought to bear by anal contractions. It's a real dilemma! About a year ago now, I came across a similar posting from a user who had come up with an "outrigger" stabilizer which he fabricated from small diameter radiator hoses and paper clips. This method too, added stability (although not as elegantly as TBONE'S design) but ended up mitigating the effect of the abutment tab. As a matter of a fact, it diminished the pressure to such an extent that I found myself eventually almost completely disengaging the stabilizer in order to get the needed stimulation from the tab.

There is one other area of concern with regard to stabilizers of this sort. If your perineal accupressure spot ("sweet spot") is particularly localized (as mine is) a stabilizer may have the abutment tab securely positioned over the wrong area! And the stabilizer can make finding the right spot a little more difficult. However, if your "sweet spot" is larger, that is, it's more of a "sweet area", this may not be an issue for you.

Over the last year I've read some user comments that lament the design of the tab itself (some still in the archives). I've seen it suggested that it would be better if the tab were a round ball, or maybe had some version of a stabilizer designed into it. But once again, anything that adds stability takes away pressure. (The larger the tip of the tab the greater contact area the greater the contact area the more the force/ pressure is diffused). Conversely, I heard about a user who had actually "sharpened the abutment tab to afford more pressure and stability by allowing the tab to really "dig in". Not wanting to permanently damage my massager and admittedly being somewhat squeemish about anything "sharp" coming anywhere near this vicinity, I passed on checking out this particular modification for myself.

In the final analysis, the Aneros is not a perfect device, but it comes pretty close. I believe that TBONE'S modification can make it even more effective for users whose pressure requirements for the tab are not as great . I remain convinced that one or two fingers are still the best stabilizers for those who need the abutment tab "full strength", at this time.

B Mayfield

P.S. I still ponder the re-design of the Aneros myself occasionally...perhaps a "floating" stabilizer that is not connected to the abutment tab directly...a corral if you will, that applies pressure transversely, to the sides of the tab, leaving the action of the abutment arm unimpinged....for now I'll leave it to others to figure it out !

I have owned and used an Aneros for over 3 years now, but this will be my first post here.

I have also found that the perineal abutment is far too intrusive for comfort, so I just wanted to share my own personal solution which has worked quite well for me:

Simply take a cotton tube sock, the kind that has fairly thick material at the bottom. Cut a section out from the bottom, roughly a 3-inch square. Now trim the corners off so you have a circle of cloth roughly 3 inches in diameter.

Next cut another square and trim it, slightly smaller, so you have a second circle of cloth roughly 2-1/2 inches in diameter.

Place the smaller circle inside the larger one. Wrap them both over the abutment and secure them in place with a small, elastic hair tie at the bottom of the sleeve.

I have found this to be a soft enough covering to allow comfortable continual use even after 90 minutes, without losing much of the effective pressure that the original design offers.

The cotton holds in place against skin quite well, even if some lubricant should happen to touch it. If made correctly, the cover itself can be slipped on and off the abutment quite easily with one hand.

If you desire more pressure, simply remove the inner (smaller) circle of cloth. If you desire less pressure, make a larger circle (perhaps 4 inches in diameter) for the first 2 circles to fit inside of.

That's all there is to it. Just remember to make a new cover frequently for hygenic purposes.